1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to snowshoes, specifically to snowshoes designed for long term storage and ultimate utilization in an emergency or life threatening situation.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Heretofore, snowshoes have been a utilitarian item, adept at traversing soft snow by providing a large surface area (footprint) such that the weight of a human spread over this area was insufficient to penetrate the snow. This properly is commonly referred to as "flotation". The actual shape and size of the shoe varied with the environment in which they were to be used and the weight of the user. They were typically elliptical with a raised rounded toe to minimize the tendency of the shoe to torpedo into the snow during use, and a narrower trailing heel which provided directional stability. The plane created within the frame, is usually referred to as the "deck". A harness, which coupled the users footwear to the snowshoe was also necessary and usually designed to facilitate the normal pivoting action of the human foot, even though in this case, the toes extend through the shoe deck and into the snow. This action provided forward traction while, minimizing the bending action of the foot, which is usually difficult in heavy winter boots. In any case, the foot progresses in a forward motion and takes what would be normally considered the walking surface with it.
In every case, the snowshoe was large, awkward to carry and bulky to store. Attempts at coupling the pair for transport or storage were usually accomplished with the aid of several separate cords tied strategically around the perimeter. This was not an ideal solution, since even when the extra cords had not been misplaced, there are only two ways to logically configure the shoes. The first is to "stack" one atop the other, pointing in the same direction (dictated by the upward curve of the toe) and lash the frames together while compressing the harness of the lower shoe. The second, is to lash the bottoms together (walking surfaces facing), again with the toes and heels aligned. This configuration is even more cumbersome and subjected the shoes to possible damage, due to the toes extending beyond the deck plane in both directions. In each case they were difficult to manage, since the shoes did not interlock. The entire procedure is at best frustrating and usually ends with the individual shoes sliding in various (different) directions. This highlights the problem of exactly how one picks up and carries a pair of snowshoes that have been lashed together. There is no handle. Traditionally, one attempts to grasp the items with one hand, around one or both frames, or more frequently around the frame with the fingers through the webbing. Since the shoes can never be tightly secured, due to the harness standoff, this scenario can lead to injury if the two shoes slide in different directions, trapping the fingers between the two shoes. This can be significantly more serious should the carrier inadvertently hit one of the shoes on a solid object, or slip and fall upon the shoes. Since emergency snowshoes were, by definition, designed to be transported until needed for use, these various problems collectively contribute to the unsuitability of the prior art. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,801 to Gros-Louis, Mar. 26, 1974, for "Emergency Snowshoes in Particular for Stranded Snowmobilers" progress was made with the nesting characteristics; however, these items lacked adequate decking forward on the toe hole, and did not address the usefulness of an extended and upturned toe. No convenient means for securing the individual shoes together or for carrying the assembled pair was considered.